Pages

Advertising

Reddest Parts of Virginia Getting Most Stimulus Money?

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Check out this site of stimulus money and notice something fascinating: on a per capita basis, stimulus money in Virginia is going heavily to areas represented by stimulus-haters!

First, though, a bit of housekeeping: you'll notice that Richmond - as "blue" politically as you can get - is listed first. Wait a minute, you're thinking, is the argument here that Richmond is a "stimulus-hating" area? Actually, no. In fact, if you read the fine print, it clearly states, "There still may be overrepresentation of money going to counties where state capitals are because of funding going to state agencies but where the data did not designate that it was to be used statewide." In other words, we need to knock out Richmond for the aforementioned reason. Onwards...

After Richmond, it really gets interesting. Next up in receiving stimulus dollars on a per person basis is Salem, home town of House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith. I'm sure Griffith is very happy about all that money flowing in, but the hypocrisy is rather rank for somebody who rails against government spending and even votes to reject that money. So why isn't he volunteering to send his district's money back to Washington, DC?

Then there’s Bristol, a locale that went for John McCain 62%-36% in 2008, and home of Senator William C. Wampler, Jr.. Lovely, huh? See the comment I made about Morgan Griffith.

Then there's Colonial Heights, so "red" politically that it was one of only six Virginia jurisdictions (out of 135) to vote for Jim Gilmore over Mark Warner in 2008 It's also the home of conservative Republican Del. Kirk Cox. So why is he, like Griffith and Wampler, taking this dirty government money? Be true to your principles, Del. Cox, and send it back! LOL

Anyway, you get the idea: lots of "red" areas, represented by Republicans who have strongly opposed the "stimulus" (and Obama, and the government in general), happily receiving large amounts of said "stimulus" money on a per capita basis. Amazing, isn't it? Hypocrisy, thy name is Republican!